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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25447741">Lost and Found</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyrine/pseuds/Lady_Zephyrine'>Lady_Zephyrine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lights in the Darkness [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kirby (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>...Then again so are the rest of us, Bonding, Dark Matter suffers 2020, Gen, Injury, Mild Gore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:35:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25447741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyrine/pseuds/Lady_Zephyrine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After going underground to get away from Kirby and Dedede, Dark Matter is asked by Gooey to help look for them.</p><p>There's something familiar about Gooey, though Dark Matter doesn't want to admit it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dark Matter &amp; Gooey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lights in the Darkness [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well I DID say that I had another idea for a story.</p><p>So I think there should be a few warnings here. First, there might be times where the story touches on stuff from "A New Home", though this one focuses on Dark Matter's perspective rather than Gooey's. Second, this story might be a little darker (heh) than that one, so I'll try to leave warnings whenever I can.</p><p>With that said, here's a prologue.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All Dark Matter were the same...or at least that's what Lord Zero believed. And as such, they were all born to serve under their creator.</p><p>Like his siblings, this specific Dark Matter still respected Lord Zero and did what he could to please his creator. However...despite how close he was to Lord Zero, he could never really "connect" to him or any of his siblings. Not only that, there was also a lonely feeling that seemed to linger within him. His siblings could always sense this feeling, and thus, they avoided him.</p><p>Lord Zero had always said that having these sort of feelings was considered "weak". But no matter how hard the Dark Matter tried to get rid of them, they would never go away. It was like a curse, the kind of curse that he was forever doomed to suffer himself. At times, he would wonder if Lord Zero had any sort of pity for him. But such a thing wasn't possible. Besides, the Dark Matter was more likely to be killed or banished then to receive any pity from his creator.</p><p>Just now, Lord Zero had created even more Dark Matter...which meant more siblings that wanted to avoid him. Many of the newborns would float towards their older siblings while others would cling to Lord Zero's sides, much to his dismay. However, there was one in particular that piqued the Dark Matter's interest. There was a sibling that was still on the ground, it wasn't as close to his creator as the others.</p><p>He floated towards this sibling with a curious gaze. Though most of his newer siblings started to shift closer to Lord Zero, this one stayed still and breathed as if each breath would be his last.</p><p>"What do you make of this one, My Lord?" asked the Dark Matter as he looked up at his creator. Lord Zero huffed as he tried to push the other Dark Matter away. "That one is defective, I don't expect him to survive for long."</p><p>The Dark Matter laid down beside his sibling and examined it a little more.  As Lord Zero had said, it probably won't live for very long, Chances were that it would either die from Lord Zero's metaphorical hands or it would die from not being so strong to begin with.</p><p>He wasn't sure why, but the Dark Matter couldn't bear the thought of his sibling being in pain. He knew that if it DID survive, it would probably try to avoid him like the rest. And yet...he felt something for this one. He wasn't sure how or why. but he did.</p><p>"Perhaps...I should bring this one to my nest, Lord Zero?" asked the Dark Matter as he looked up at his creator. "That is...if you would allow it, of course."</p><p>"And why would you want do that? Don't tell me you feel pity for that miserable thing!"</p><p>The Dark Matter went silent, he felt as if he never should've asked to begin with. The rest of his siblings stared at him like the Mock Matter that he was, but after a quiet moment had gone by, Lord Zero sighed apathetically.</p><p>"Go ahead and do what you want with him, I don't care. But don't expect me to treat him any differently from anyone else should he survive!"</p><p>"I understand, My Lord."</p><p>With that said, the Dark Matter threw his sibling onto his back and headed over to his own nest. He tucked his fins into his body, and despite his spiky appearance, his sibling was relatively unharmed.</p><p>Usually, the rest of his siblings would've fled at this point. But this one still didn't move. If he were to die soon, then at least now he wouldn't have to die alone.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It had been a little while since the Dark Matter took his sibling from Lord Zero. Even while he was training, he still kept a close eye on his sibling. It still hadn't moved, and the Dark Matter expected it to have perished by now.</p><p>So now, the Dark Matter was sitting in the nest while in Blob form. He was giving his sibling a perplexed look. It's not like he wanted this thing to die, but he hadn't expected it to cling to life for this long, either.</p><p>"You're more stubborn than you look," The Dark Matter said quietly. "Lord Zero would've destroyed you by now."</p><p>He was caught by surprise when his sibling began to stir. He was finally awake, but he didn't have an eye like one would expect from a Dark Matter...he had two! He was such an ugly little thing that he would never fit in with the rest of their kind.</p><p>...Kind of like the Dark Matter in a way.</p><p>"...Forgive me, I shouldn't say such harsh things," The Dark Matter said quietly. He relaxed as he felt himself squish against the ground. His sibling started to relax as well, though he seemed to be doing this as a form of mimicry more than anything.</p><p>This thing was still an infant, and like most infants, he was going to need someone to look after him. Usually, that job would go to other Dark Matter or Lord Zero himself. But the others would find this thing creepy, and Lord Zero wouldn't want anything to do with him. So if the Dark Matter had to raise this thing himself, then so be it.</p><p>...But could he really do it? Could he really train such a frail thing to fight like his siblings? What if the Dark Matter held him back? Lord Zero would punish the both of them for sure.</p><p>His sibling was giving him an unusual look. It wasn't the typical apathy or malice like one would expect...it was one of concern, like he was worried about his older brother. Did this thing have emotions as well? Could he even connect with the others? If he could, he probably would've taken off by now.</p><p>...Well, if the Dark Matter lived this long under Lord Zero's rule despite his flaws, then maybe he was meant to raise this one after all? And if he needed to, he could teach him how to suppress his feelings. At least that way, Lord Zero won't think too poorly of him.</p><p>"Do not worry about me, Brother. Rest assured, I will be the one to train you from this day forward. Should things go as intended, then one day you may even look like this."</p><p>The Dark Matter's body started to change shape, one where he had more of a body. He now had a mask over his eye while his lower body was under a cloak. This was what others would refer to as a "Blade" form, though most didn't need to wear a mask like he did.</p><p>His brother gave him an excited look, he crawled over to the Dark Matter and hid himself under the cloak. It was hard to tell what his brother was thinking, but the Dark Matter was sure that he was being admired.</p><p>The Dark Matter started to feel a strange emotion form inside of him...joy, maybe? Whatever it was, it was a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time, and one that Lord Zero would've berated him for were he close by. Was this what it was like to "connect" with a sibling? Probably not, but there was something about having a companion around that made him...happy.</p><p>He wrapped his cloak around his younger brother as he settled down next to a large rock nearby, he felt the younger Dark Matter sink into his chest. He couldn't wait to train him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>A long time had passed, and the bond between him and his brother had grown stronger...but despite this, his brother hadn't grown very strong himself.</p><p>He never learned how to talk, he never learned how to possess anything, and he could never learn how carry objects with his mind. Thus, he was never able to hold a sword. Regardless, Dark Matter trained his brother to the best of his ability.</p><p>...But it wasn't enough.</p><p>Lord Zero wanted to kill him, but Dark Matter had convinced him not to go through with it. His brother's life was spared, but in return he was never allowed to come back to Dark Star ever again.</p><p>...So Dark Matter let him go.</p><p>He was never going to see his brother again. And as time went on, he'd wished that he'd never grown attached to his brother in the first place. He tried to suppress whatever sad or isolated feelings he had in an attempt to get rid of them.  But in doing so, there was another emotion that grew stronger as time went on. All Dark Matter could feel now was anger. He was always one wrong move away from attacking someone. His siblings no longer looked at him in apathy...instead, they all feared him. They feared that they could be sliced in half whenever he was around.</p><p>But Dark Matter was cursed to be alone no matter what he did, so why should he care?</p><p>Recently, Lord Zero had asked him to gather information on a planet he'd discovered, a carefree planet known as "Popstar." He had to wonder what made the planet so "carefree" in the first place. Perhaps the people there lived happy lives where everyone got to do whatever they wanted?  He was sure that Popstar was a planet full of sunshine and rainbows.</p><p>...Just the very thought of it made him sick, why should they be happy when they had no reason to be? Why should they all get along when Dark Matter couldn't even get along with his own kind?</p><p>...Either way, it didn't matter. Because if he couldn't be happy, nobody could. And he was going to make sure of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And here we have a Time Skip. Also, here's a slight gore warning for this chapter.</p><p>I didn't do much writing this week, but I did have this chapter pre-written. So there's that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark Matter had attacked Dream Land when he first came to the planet. He attempted to get rid of all the joy this planet had to offer, but his plan proved unsuccessful when a pink puffball brought him down with the Rainbow Sword. Lord Zero had tried to take over Popstar as well, but not only was he stopped by that Puffball, he was also stopped by the Puffball's friend. Said friend was a blue blob that took on the form of a typical Dark Matter.</p><p>But that thing wasn't a Dark Matter, he was nothing more than Mock Matter at best.</p><p>By Popstar's standards, it had been a few years since the incident. So what was Dark Matter doing now? Well...</p><p>Ever since Lord Zero's death, Dark Matter had been staying on Popstar. He had nowhere else to go. From what he'd heard, Dark Star had blown up sometime after his kind tried to invade Popstar a third time. It wasn't just his kind that attempted to take over the planet either. But no matter who it was that attacked, Kirby was always there to stop them. He would even befriend those that considered him an enemy beforehand.</p><p>...But Dark Matter could never be Kirby's friend.</p><p>...Not after attacking the planet out of anger. His siblings wanted nothing to do with him, and neither did the Dreamlanders...well, except for one in particular.</p><p>It was the blue blob. He always acted happy and cheerful whenever he was around his friends. But when he crossed paths with Dark Matter, the blob would just...sit there and stare at him. Regardless of what that blob thought, Dark Matter would always flee before anything could be said. The last thing he needed on this planet was to fight that thing, especially not when he was one of the reasons Lord Zero's killed himself.</p><p>It was almost night time, and Dark Matter was carelessly floating along a dirt road. If there was one good thing he could say about Popstar, it was that he never had to do any training or scouting. He was free to do whatever he wanted...For the most part, anyway,</p><p>As he got carried away by his own thoughts, he bumped into someone. They were walking with a pair of Waddle Dees.. He was almost tempted to yell at them, but one of the Waddle Dees screamed. He was stabbed in the side with a spear, which was now stuck. It barely missed one of his fins.</p><p>"What's gotten into you?" the person yelled. He turned around and gave Dark Matter a bitter look. "Oh...it's you."</p><p>Dark Matter started to panic, staring back at him was Dream Land's King, Dedede. He'd been used as a puppet by Dark Matter twice while Popstar was being invaded. And given the reactions he'd gotten, the Waddle Dees probably assumed that he was going after Dedede again.</p><p>...Which meant that Kirby might come after him again.</p><p>Dark Matter took off and tried to find a place to hide, he tried to ignore the spear that was still in his side. He could hear Dedede yell something, but he didn't need to hear it. Out of everyone in Dream Land, he was sure that Dedede hated him the most. Knowing this, the Waddle Dees had every right to attack him.</p><p>Dark Matter made his way into a pit that lead underground. He could probably rest down here for the time being, though he could hear Dedede yelling above the pit.</p><p>"Great, the dang thing ran off before we could talk!"</p><p>"Something wrong?" asked another voice, it sounded like Kirby.</p><p>"...Why do you have all that stuff?"</p><p>"Well...Me and Gooey were exploring underground, and we ended up getting separated from each other. So I came back up here and grabbed as much stuff as I could so I could go find him."</p><p>"Well, you picked an interesting time to go underground, I had Dark Matter bump into me before he went down there."</p><p>"...You don't mean THAT Dark Matter, do you?"</p><p>So they were heading into the pit as well? Dark Matter could feel his anxiety worsen somehow. He flew a little deeper until he found an alcove to hide in. He tucked his fins into his body and kept his eye partially closed in an attempt to stay hidden. He still had the spear stuck in his side, but if he's lucky, the duo probably won't notice.</p><p>It didn't take long for Kirby and Dedede to run by him. As he'd hoped, the duo hadn't even noticed him. They were probably going to be in there for a while, if not to find Dark Matter, then they'd be in there looking for their missing friend.</p><p>...Now he needed to find a way to get the spear out. He couldn't exactly pull it out with his mind, and although he could form a pair of nubby arms if he needed to, they weren't big enough for him to use. All Dark Matter could do was sit there, he closed his eye as he tried to think of what to do next.</p><p>He jumped as he heard someone scream, it sounded like it came from a small child.</p><p>"A-are you OK? Do you need help?"</p><p>Dark Matter looked at the direction of the voice, he started to feel tense as he saw who was standing in front of him...It was that blue blob.</p><p>"Stay back!" Dark Matter said sternly. He backed away further into the alcove as he shifted into his blade form, "Don't think that I won't defend myself!"</p><p>The blob gave him a confused look as he tilted his head, "I just wanna help you, dun you want help?"</p><p>"I..." Dark Matter huffed bitterly, he didn't want to be anywhere near this blob...But he DID need to get the spear out as soon as possible.</p><p>"All right, fine!"</p><p>With that said, the blob opened his mouth and grabbed the spear with his tongue. He yanked it out quickly before tossing it aside. Dark Matter groaned as he fell over. Some blood even seeped through his cloak.</p><p>"I'm sorry," The blob said with worry. "I didn't mean to hurt you."</p><p>"...It's fine," Dark Matter replied. "It's just...why are you doing this?"</p><p>"Um...It's because...uh..."</p><p>The blob started to rub his tongue against his head as he tried to think. Either he forgot or he couldn't think of a solid reason. Regardless, he pulled his tongue back into his mouth and shrugged. "I dunno, I just dun like to see you hurt."</p><p>...So he had no reason to help him? At least that's what Dark Matter assumed, the blob was just a small child after all.</p><p>"Aren't you the one Kirby was looking for?"</p><p>"I think so," the blob replied. "We got separated after a whale tried to attack us."</p><p>...A whale? Living underground? Dark Matter's missing brother could come up with a better story than that, and he couldn't even talk!</p><p>"...Right...Do you have a name at least?"</p><p>"Um...It's Gooey...I think."</p><p>"You think?"</p><p>"I'm a Dark Matter," Gooey responded. "I shouldn't have one anyway."</p><p>"...And yet you do?"</p><p>"My friend Nago gave it to me, I like to think it's so my friends have something to call me."</p><p>Names were a rare thing given to their kind, only special ones such as Miracle Matter or Dark Nebula could receive names. It was more common with lesser Zeroes, but a typical Dark Matter may receive a name if their creator allowed it.</p><p>"What about you?" Gooey asked. "Do you have a name?"</p><p>"...No."</p><p>"Huh...that's OK then," Gooey said contentedly. "Besides, you're the only other Dark Matter that's down here, right?"</p><p>...Gooey was a strange child, there was no denying it. But he was kind...perhaps a little too kind for one that claimed to be a Dark Matter, it was a miracle that someone like him was alive out here...Void knew what Gooey's Zero must've been like.</p><p>Well, whatever. Dark Matter was about to leave when he felt Gooey tug his cloak. He was staring at him again, it was as if he wanted to tell Dark Matter something.</p><p>"What now?"</p><p>"Um..." Gooey struggled to speak. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, he couldn't say it...But when he found the right words to use, he finally spoke.</p><p>"You...er...c-can you help me find Kirby, please?"</p><p>"And why would I want to do that!?" Dark Matter yelled bitterly. "Did you forget who it was that you're talking to?"</p><p>"...No, but I know you're scared of Kirby," Gooey said casually. Dark Matter wouldn't say he was scared of Kirby...He didn't want to fight Kirby, but he wouldn't exactly say he was scared of him.</p><p>"Hey, I know you weren't nice before, but I know you can be kind again if you try."</p><p>"...And when was I ever kind to you?"</p><p>"O-oh, I'm sorry," Gooey said quietly. "I...I was thinking of someone else."</p><p>Once again, Gooey looked as if he were trying to tell him something, and yet he just...couldn't. As much as Dark Matter wanted to leave, perhaps he could learn what Gooey had to say if he stuck around long enough?</p><p>"...Fine, I suppose I owe you a favor."</p><p>Gooey smiled as he started heading back into the cave. Dark Matter shifted back into his true form and hovered over him. His side still burned from getting stabbed, but he should be fine. Besides, Kirby and Dedede couldn't have gone that far...right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Who knew that getting stabbed would cause some trouble?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The duo made their way further into the cave. Gooey was crawling along the floor, which Dark Matter found a little strange. He couldn't help but ask questions.</p><p>"If you really are a Dark Matter like you claim to be, then why aren't you floating?"</p><p>"I dunno," Gooey said with a shrug. "I just like to move around like this."</p><p>...Perhaps Gooey found it easier to move on ground than he did in the air? That's what Dark Matter liked to assume. After all, his brother didn't like to fly for very long either. Whenever he got tired, Dark Matter would shift into his Blade form and wrap his cloak around him. He couldn't help but wonder if anybody did the same thing with Gooey.</p><p>The duo came to a halt as they reached a fork in the road. Dark Matter wasn't sure where Kirby or Dedede ran off to, it didn't help that he could sense negativity coming from both paths. Although...perhaps Gooey might be able to help in some way?</p><p>"Do you remember which path you came out of?"</p><p>"Uh...I think it was this way?" Gooey said while pointing to the left. "I know I saw trees before I got outta there."</p><p>Dark Matter let out a sigh...First he was hearing about whales, and now he was hearing about trees underground.</p><p>...But if there WERE trees down here, then that must mean that they were on the right path...right? It was something they'll have to figure out themselves.</p><p>The duo began to make their way along the left path. They could see a light towards the end, and sure enough, they found themselves in an area completely full of trees. There were so many down here that it looked like a jungle. There were even creatures here that flew above them. It was no wonder Kirby and Gooey had been exploring down here.</p><p>"So where do we go from here?"</p><p>"Um...I think we go this way?" Gooey said as he shuffled along the ground. It didn't look like he had an easy time making decisions, but once again, Gooey was just a child.</p><p>There was a river up ahead, which Gooey started to follow along. Dark Matter, on the other hand, decided to hover over the river. He could see fish swimming against the current.</p><p>"Careful," Gooey called out. "The whale will get you!"</p><p>"I know what I'm doing!"</p><p>The river was wide, sure. But it wasn't wide enough for a whale to swim through. Perhaps Gooey ran into a large fish instead?</p><p>Dark Matter paused as a tree fell in front of him. He probably would've drowned, had he gotten a little closer. He looked over to where Gooey was. Although startled, the young blob was relatively unharmed. Nonetheless, he crawled on top of the tree and started to cross the river.</p><p>...Wouldn't it be easier for Gooey to hover over the river instead? Why crawl on the tree and risk falling in? And didn't he just warn Dark Matter of the supposed whale that attacked him?</p><p>Oh whatever, it was fine as long as Gooey kept moving.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>While getting through the cave was easy at first, the duo inevitably reached a dead end. There were fallen trees that blocked off a tunnel. Gooey wrapped his tongue around one of the trees as he tried to move it, but it wasn't going anywhere. It would be easier to leave the tunnel alone and look for another route, but Dark Matter could sense an angry aura somewhere beyond the tunnel. He wondered if Gooey could sense the same aura and wanted to investigate. If he really was a Dark Matter like he claimed, then he should be able to sense it too.</p><p>"Let me try something," Dark Matter suggested. He shifted back into his blade form. As he did, a sword had appeared next to him. He struck the trees with as much force as he could, but the trunks were too thick to cut through.</p><p>Maybe there was another way to move the trees? Then again, shooting lasers and launching his fins at them wasn't going to do much good. Dark Matter looked around to see if he could find a solution, it didn't take long for his eye to catch the attention of a large, grey creature sleeping near the river. It was a Phan Phan, if he remembered correctly. Its trunk should be strong to get rid of the trees.</p><p>"I think I might have a solution to our problem," Dark Matter said while pointing towards the Phan Phan. Gooey tilted his head in confusion. "What about it?"</p><p>"One of us should take control of it and move the trees out of the way."</p><p>"But I can't do that," Gooey replied.</p><p>"And why can't you?"</p><p>"I just...can't. And you shouldn't either!"</p><p>Oh, like he needed to listen to this blob! Dark Matter made his way over to the Phan Phan and phased into its body. He stood up as he took control of the creature. However, the wound that he had on his side started to burn. It was as if it had gotten bigger somehow, though there was no visible wound on the Phan Phan. He tried to keep it together as he walked, but he couldn't hold onto the creature and stumbled out of its body. His wound was still screaming in agony.</p><p>Gooey was glaring at him, it was the same kind of glare his brother used to give him when he didn't approve of something.</p><p>"Don't give me that look." Dark Matter said bitterly as he floated again, albeit in pain. "It's not like you were going to possess it."</p><p>"I told you I can't!" Gooey argued. "I can't do it even if I wanted to!"</p><p>Oh...so Gooey really couldn't possess anyone. It would've been nice to know before, though he was sure that this child would've refused regardless.</p><p>The Phan Phan woke up as if someone had startled it. Gooey pulled Dark Matter out of the way before it ran him over. However, it managed to break the trees as it ran through the tunnel instead.</p><p>The duo should be able to keep going, but there was no way Dark Matter was going to try and possess anyone for a while.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The underground forest seemed like it would go on forever. Although the duo had gotten pretty far, there was no sign of Kirby yet.</p><p>Gooey was starting to slow down. He was giving the river a weary look, it was as if he were expecting the whale to come out and attack them.</p><p>"...Perhaps we should rest for a little while?" Dark Matter offered. Gooey replied with a nod, it seemed the two of them were on the same page. Gooey stretched while Dark Matter brought himself onto the ground. The latter lifted his cloak to examine the wound. It didn't look any different from earlier, though the pain still lingered.</p><p>"Are you OK?" Gooey asked. Dark Matter looked at Gooey as he let his cloak drop back down. "I'm fine."</p><p>"But aren't you still hurt?"</p><p>"I am...but I'll manage."</p><p>The two of them sat quietly. As much as Dark Matter didn't want to admit it, there was some comfort in quietly sitting next to someone. He couldn't help but wonder if Gooey felt the same way.</p><p>"H-hey..." Gooey said quietly. "You...you remember when we fought? And Kirby and I went after Zero?"</p><p>"How could I forget?"</p><p>"Well...I'm sorry about all of it," Gooey said while staying low to the ground. He looked as if he were trying to bow down to him. "We wanted to stop Zero from taking over Popstar, but then he shot his eye at us and-"</p><p>"You have nothing to apologize for."</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>Dark Matter let out a deep sigh, he closed his eye as he tilted his head back. He'd always viewed Kirby and Gooey as the reason why Lord Zero died, but he didn't really blame them for his death. Especially when he was the one that was supposed to protect his creator in the first place.</p><p>"I was the one that attacked Popstar in the first place," Dark Matter said quietly. "So if anything, I should be the one to apologize."</p><p>Gooey looked at him with a blank expression, he was probably thinking about what to say next.</p><p>"There's...something else I wanna tell you...but not until we find Kirby, all right?"</p><p>"And why can't you tell me right now?"</p><p>Gooey went silent, he didn't seem to have an answer. Perhaps he was afraid of angering Dark Matter, and he didn't want to say anything? At least that's how Dark Matter used to behave when he didn't want to tell Lord Zero anything.</p><p>"Fine, don't tell me. But when we DO reach Kirby, you'd better keep your word!"</p><p>"I will, I promise!"</p><p>Gooey was...a strange creature, anybody could see that. But he was also very loyal, Dark Matter was sure that Gooey would keep his promise when all of this was over. But for now, the two of them needed to rest...at least for a little bit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Basically, these two get beaten up by Fatty Whale.</p><p>Also, there's vomit up ahead in case that makes you uncomfortable.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once the duo was ready to go, they headed further into the cave. There were less trees here, and the river eventually lead thee duo to a large lake. There was a long bridge that lead to the other side of the lake, though it looked like it was in rough shape.</p><p>The angry aura that Dark Matter sensed was at its strongest out here, he could see that Gooey was already scared beyong belief. He allowed the blob to hide under his cloak, at least this way it could bring him some comfort.</p><p>Dark Matter hovered over the bridge while Gooey crawled under his cloak. So far, there was no sign of any whale...or any other beast that wanted to attack them. Dark Matter had hoped it would stay that way, but he began to hear something in the distance...It sounded like running water.</p><p>Sure enough, there was a massive wave coming towards the duo. There was no time for either of them to fly away, so Dark Matter wrapped Gooey in his cloak in an attempt to shield him from the wave. They both fell off the bridge with Dark Matter taking the force from the wave.</p><p>There was a large creature swimming behind the duo, that must've been the whale.</p><p>The wave had stunned Dark Matter. He couldn't even move, let alone shift into any other form. Gooey held onto his cloak with his tongue, he released his fins and swam away from the whale as quickly as he could. But the whale lept forwards, which knocked the duo forward as well. They were caught it another wave, and rocks started to fall from the ceiling. Gooey lost his grip after the second wave. He tried to grab Dark Matter again, but a rock fell on top of him and knocked him out.</p><p>Dark Matter attempted to swim towards Gooey, but he was struck by one of the whale's flukes as it turned around. He slammed against a wall, and he was slowly starting to lose his senses. He was no longer able to move, and he inevitably passed out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It was pitch-black, but Dark Matter was still alive.</p><p>He was lying on the ground with his cloak still soaked in water. He'd lost his mask somewhere, and the wound on his side was oozing a bit. Needless to say, it was no wonder Gooey was terrified of that whale.</p><p>Not far from where he was, he could hear what sounded like vomiting. He assumed that Gooey swallowed too much water after that attack Although he struggled at first, Dark Matter had lifted himself from the ground and started hovering towards where he heard the sound. He used his cloak to feel the floor until he finally found Gooey. The poor blob was laying there with his tongue out, he breathed as if every breath would be his last. Dark Matter wrapped his cloak around him and held him close to his chest, he could feel that a lump had formed above Gooey's left eye.</p><p>He didn't want to admit it, but Gooey reminded Dark Matter of his missing brother. At the moment, he felt like such a small and frail thing. If one didn't know any better, they would think it'd be impossible for him to wake up. But like his brother, he was sure that Gooey would wake up just fine...well, mostly.</p><p>Now wasn't the best time to reminisce about the past, though. Dark Matter needed to find a way out of here. He slowly hovered forward until he lightly bumped into a wall. Afterwards, he started to follow the wall until he could find a tunnel. At the very least, he hoped that the tunnel wouldn't turn into a labyrinth. But knowing his luck, there was a good chance of it happening.</p><p>Gooey let out a deep breath as he tried to wrap a pair of nubby arms around Dark Matter's chest. One had to wonder if Gooey had a hard time remembering who he was with at times. Nobody in their right mind would ask Dark Matter of all people to help them find their friend, nor would they go out of their way to apologize or try to save him.</p><p>...Though come to think of it, how did Gooey come to Popstar in the first place? As a Dark Matter, he must not have fitted in with his own colony. His siblings probably rejected him as well.</p><p>So then...how did he become friends with Kirby? How could the Dreamlanders accept Gooey so easily despite knowing he was a Dark Matter? What was his Zero like? Dark Matter had heard stories about a Zero getting trapped on this planet before, but Gooey's Zero couldn't have been that one.</p><p>There were some colorful lights up ahead. They were probably coming from some mushrooms growing out of the walls, though Dark Matter's vision was a little blurry. Nonetheless, It should be fine as long as he didn't touch any of the mushrooms.</p><p>When he couldn't go any farther, Dark Matter lowered himself against the wall. He didn't want to stop for any reason, but he needed to get some of his strength back somehow.</p><p>Gooey began to stir, he rubbed the lump on his head with his tongue before dragging it back into his mouth. With what little light there was, the lump looked bruised and swollen.</p><p>"I see you're finally awake," Dark Matter said as he rubbed the bruise with his cloak. "That rock must've been painful."</p><p>Gooey looked around with a confused expression, "...Where are we?"</p><p>"I'm not sure," Dark Matter replied. "But if I may ask...why did you try to save me?"</p><p>"Uh..." It took Gooey a moment to think, though he did get hit pretty badly back there. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for him to have an answer.</p><p>"It's 'cause I dun wanna see you hurt," Gooey replied.</p><p>"But wouldn't it be easier to just leave me behind?"</p><p>"No, I dun wanna do that again!"</p><p>"...And what do you mean 'again'?"</p><p>Gooey went completely silent, it probably had something to do with what he wanted to tell Dark Matter. But just like earlier, he couldn't bring himself to do it.</p><p>"Nevermind, then. Pretend I didn't say anything."</p><p>"...Right," Gooey said with a guilty look on his face. "We need to get outta here, first."</p><p>Dark Matter released Gooey from his cloak. Again, he struggled to get himself off the ground, but he was able to hover with what little strength he had.</p><p>"A-are you OK?" Gooey asked with concern. Dark Matter replied with a single nod. "I...I may not be in the best shape, but I'll be fine."</p><p>Gooey looked at him with concern, but he kept moving through the tunnel nonetheless. Still, with the way he acted around Dark Matter...it was almost as if...</p><p>...No, he couldn't have been Dark Matter's brother. They both had two eyes, sure. But his brother wasn't blue, nor did he possess a mouth.</p><p>Then again...A Dark Matter could mutate if they needed to fit into their environment. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to keep a closer eye on Gooey? At least for a little bit...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Looks like someone's starting to get suspicious...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this chapter, Dark Matter hates mushrooms while Gooey doesn't hesitate to eat one.</p><p>Warnings for this chapter involve hallucinations and some pretty dark thoughts (no pun intended).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The further the duo explored the cave, the more mushrooms there were. Each one illuminated the cave with their own color, though to Dark Matter it looked like a blur of color. Most creatures on this planet would find this pretty, but seeing all these colors together gave Dark Matter bad vibes about this place.</p><p>He had nearly fallen over again. Gooey froze, it was as if he'd seen his acquaintance get sliced in half...Would acquaintance be the right word? Even with the possibility of Gooey being his brother, it just didn't feel right to call him a "friend". Not yet, at least.</p><p>"I...I'm fine," Dark Matter said as he struggled to hover again. "Don't worry about me!"</p><p>Gooey nodded, though that distressed look on his face wasn't going away anytime soon.</p><p>He wasn't sure if it was because of the whale or if it was something else entirely, but Dark Matter's body felt heavy. It ached as he tried to stay afloat.  He didn't want to shift out of his Blade form, but he was sure he would be fine if he kept going for a little while longer.</p><p>One of Gooey's eyes had caught the attention of a strange mushroom. It had a strange purple glow to it, and its spores were everywhere. Just looking at it made Dark Matter uncomfortable, and yet Gooey's mouth was watering like a puffball's whenever they saw food. But before Dark Matter could stop him, the blue blob took the mushroom into his mouth and ate it.</p><p>Rather than dropping dead like one would expect, Gooey attempted to spit out the mushroom like it was the grossest thing he'd ever eaten (and it was). Instead of a mushroom, however. Gooey managed to spit out corrosive acid. It left a burning puddle on the ground.</p><p>"How...did you do that?" Dark Matter asked, perplexed.</p><p>"Didn't you know? I got the Copy Ability," Gooey replied. "I dun like the Poison Ability very much, though."</p><p>Ah...so that's what it was? Some Dark Matter were capable of learning the Copy Ability, though unlike Puffballs, it was a rare ability for them to have.</p><p>"Well...Perhaps you could hold onto it until you find something better? If you're going to try and protect me, the least you could do is arm yourself."</p><p>"Oh, I didn't think about that!" Gooey said excitedly. He hopped ahead of Dark Matter as the two of them kept moving. Now it seemed like the young blob had an actual goal instead of just helplessly watching Dark Matter fall over here and there.</p><p>Inevitably, the two of them have reached a dead end. There was a wall made of fungus that blocked the path. It would be easy for Dark Matter to slice the fungus in order to progress, so he summoned his sword and attempted to slice it open...but rather than being cut, the fungus threw spores at him. He almost screamed as he quickly tried to shake them off.</p><p>"...Lemme try something," Gooey said as he came up to the fungus. He spat out more corrosive acid, which melted the fungus on contact. Dark Matter couldn't help but give him a bitter look.</p><p>"Come on, we gotta keep moving!" Gooey said as he crawled past through the hole in the fungus. Dark Matter followed him. But when he looked back, the fungus wall reformed almost instantly.</p><p>...He was sure that something bad was going to happen to him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Further into the cave, there were even more mushrooms and fungi that lighted the walls. Not only that, there appeared to be a ton of spores in the air as well. Gooey would spit on any fungus that got in their way, how he wasn't bothered by the fungus was anyone's guess.</p><p>After a while, Dark Matter started to feel woozy. The glowing spots on the walls started to resemble eyes. He realized that the eyes were his siblings staring down at him, yet they each had a different eye color from one another.</p><p>He felt Gooey tug at his cloak in an attempt to keep him moving, though his voice was nonexistent. What was even stranger was that Gooey's body had turned black, including his tongue. Dark Matter moved forward, though a part of him thought that this was a bad idea.</p><p>There were even more eyes on him, eyes that looked down at him in anger and disgust. Their voices all said the same thing, they were angry that he didn't report back before he attacked Dream Land, and they were angry that he couldn't protect Lord Zero like he was supposed to. He was a disgrace to his own kind, it was a miracle that he was alive to begin with.</p><p>"I knew I should've killed you off with that defect!"</p><p>...Was that Lord Zero's voice? But he should be dead...There was no sign of his glowing red eye, either.</p><p>"You have been nothing but a disappointment since I created you, I'm surprised that you could even keep up with the rest of your kind. Especially with those weak emotions of yours. Everyone would be better off if you'd just DIE!"</p><p>Suddenly, the room began to spin at a rapid pace. Dark Matter fell onto the floor. He was dragged onto someone's back, though they blended in with the rest of the room. Perhaps they were here to drag him into the underworld? Or maybe they were guiding him to Void itself? He couldn't help but blink...but when he opened his eye, it looked like he was back on Dark Star.</p><p>It wasn't the prettiest world out there, nor was it the brightest. But to Dark Matter, this place was the first thing he thought of when the word "home" came to mind. But since Dark Star was destroyed, Dark Matter knew this was a dream.</p><p>It was strange. With the experiences he's had on Popstar, one would think that Dark Matter would have more nightmares of this place. And yet, he was always brought back to Dark Star whenever he fell asleep. But despite this, there was no Lord Zero to yell at him, nor were there ever any siblings. He would often have his missing brother by his side, and this time was no exception. His brother was sleeping peacefully like any young child would.</p><p>While Dark Matter was here, he may as well relax. He watched the dark clouds above him go by, though for a dream...he did feel as if his brother was actually there for once.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>His mind was still foggy from the spores, but Dark Matter slowly came back to his senses. Gooey was curled up beside him, though he wasn't sleeping.</p><p>There weren't any spores here in this area, but there was a lingering sadness in Dark Matter's mind. It was as if he didn't belong here. He wanted to go back to Dark Star, but he couldn't...and even if he COULD go back, he knew he wouldn't have been welcome.</p><p>Just then, Gooey began to stretch. He formed a nubby arm and placed it over Dark Matter's head. "Are you OK? Can you get up?"</p><p>"...I believe so."</p><p>That fogginess in his mind felt like it wasn't going away anytime soon, perhaps he caught a fever? He couldn't recall much of what happened after Gooey burned down that fungus, but he couldn't help but ask.</p><p>"Did you...see anything strange down here?"</p><p>"Only you," Gooey said, though he probably didn't mean to come off as harsh as he did. "You stopped moving, and your eye got all...small."</p><p>"I see...but how did you not see anything?"</p><p>"I dunno," Gooey replied as he shrugged. "But I'm glad you're OK."</p><p>It was strange how Gooey could act genuinely happy towards someone like Dark Matter...he had striking similarities to his missing brother, and yet Dark Matter felt like he was the fake one here. He shouldn't be the one to bring this blob joy, he shouldn't even be the one helping him find Kirby in the first place.</p><p>"Hey..."</p><p>Gooey started to tug on Dark Matter's cloak, that smile on his face hadn't left his face for a second.</p><p>"I know things are tough now, but it'll be OK. I promise!"</p><p>"...But what if it isn't?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" Gooey asked. Dark Matter needed a moment to think, though he wasn't sure if the young blob would understand him.</p><p>"Do you ever think about your role in life? Like who you really are or what you mean to someone?"</p><p>Gooey's smile began to fade, perhaps he didn't understand what what Dark Matter was talking about?</p><p>"I think about it a lot." Gooey replied, which caught Dark Matter off guard. "Would you...care to explain?"</p><p>Gooey nodded as his eyes started to focus on the ground. "I've only been here for a few years, but sometimes I wonder why I'm on Popstar to begin with...Or how I'm still friends with Kirby even though he knows I'm a Dark Matter."</p><p>"...But you've never attacked Popstar like I have, did you?"</p><p>"No, never!" Gooey said while shaking his head. "I think about things, yes...but I still love it here. I'm sure you would love it here too if you gave this world a chance."</p><p>Gooey had said similar things to Dark Matter before, though at the time he was more worried about protecting his own kind. The idea of becoming Kirby's friend still felt impossible. But with nowhere else to go, it was worth a try.</p><p>"Very well, then. But I don't know if your friends will want me around."</p><p>"I'll explain everything to them, dun worry."</p><p>With that said, the duo started to move forward. Dark Matter still wasn't sure how Gooey wasn't effected by the fungi, It was either Gooey still had the Poison Ability or because Dark Matter was exposed to more spores...Either way, he never wanted to see another mushroom again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this chapter, the two of them go through a magma-filled cavern.</p><p>There is another injury warning, but after this Dark Matter and Gooey should be able to rest.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the duo traveled further, there were less mushrooms to lighten the path. In exchange of light, however, there was more heat the further they went. Dark Matter preferred the heat to the cold, but even he had to admit that it was getting too hot for him to handle. Eventually, they came across a deep cavern full of magma. There were few platforms and many creatures swimming in the magma as if it were just water to them...although that may as well be the case for those adapted to living in extreme heat like this.</p><p>"...I dun think I've ever been here, before." Gooey said with uncertainty. He gave Dark Matter a curious look. "Do you think you'll be able to keep going?"</p><p>"Yes, I should." Dark Matter replied. Though his body still ached, he was able to shift back into his true form. He was still able to rotate his fins, which should help him stay away from the magma. It looked like Gooey had similar plans, since he also shifted into his true form. Dark Matter had referred Gooey as a Mock Matter before, but it seemed like he was taking things more seriously than one would realize.</p><p>As the duo hovered they began to notice creatures hopping along the few platforms that sat along the magma like frogs on a lily pad.  One would think that such a hot environment would be impossible to live in, and yet these creatures found a way.</p><p>Though he was in his true form, Dark Matter still found it difficult to stay afloat. When it seemed like he was about to fall, Gooey would grab him with his tongue for a moment before letting him hover on his own again. This process would repeat a few times, though it was reassuring that Gooey wouldn't let him fall to his doom. He had to wonder if Gooey was ever this protective over Kirby. Puffballs were usually solitary, and they could usually take care of themselves at a very young age. But it probably wouldn't stop Gooey from worrying over someone like Kirby from time to time.</p><p>Eventually, the duo was able to reach a long corridor with solid ground. Magma still oozed out of the walls, but it should be fine as long as they avoided it. Both Dark Matter landed on the floor while tucking their fins back into their body.</p><p>...Perhaps it might be better to stay in Blob form for now? It wasn't the most ideal form when it came to moving or fighting, but at least this way Dark Matter wouldn't risk burning his cloak. Not to mention that Gooey could handle himself in Blob form, so it should be fine...right?</p><p>A crack had formed in the wall, Dark Matter hopped away from it before it started to spew magma. Though there was solid ground beneath him, this place wasn't very stable.</p><p>The ground around them began to crack, Gooey started clinging onto Dark Matter as if his life depended on it. Next thing they knew, the platform they were standing on launched itself into the air. Dark Matter flew as he carried Gooey to higher ground, though they tumbled as they landed.</p><p>Gooey lifted himself off of the ground, he crawled over to Dark Matter and tapped his unwounded side. "Are you OK?"</p><p>"...Yes, I'm fine," Dark Matter said as he slowly sat up. "What about you? Are you hurt?"</p><p>"No...But I wish I could do more here," Gooey said with concern. "I dun wanna make things worse by spitting poison everywhere."</p><p>"Why not borrow another ability, then?" Dark Matter suggested. Gooey tried to think of something, though there wasn't much down here that was available to him.</p><p>Suddenly, some flaming rocks appeared from the lower level of the cavern. Gooey spat out a star and grabbed one of the rocks with his tongue. He breathed fire for a moment before he decided to move on.</p><p>"Stay behind me, I'll take care of everything!" Gooey said in a more demanding tone. Dark Matter did as he was told and started to follow Gooey. The young blob would set himself on fire before running into any obstacles, whether they be rocks or creatures that happened to be in the way. He may not be able to possess, but at this point Gooey's proven himself to be strong even without the ability to do so.</p><p>Then again, he was already strong to begin with if he could help Kirby bring Lord Zero down. Perhaps if Gooey and Dark Matter had been on the same team, they would've had an easier time taking over Popstar? But Gooey loved this planet, so he probably would've ended up on Kirby's side regardless.</p><p>There was another obstacle the size of a Phan Phan blocking the way forward, it was sitting in front of another corridor...actually, it looked like it was breathing. Perhaps flying over it would be a good idea? However...Gooey had other plans, he looked like he wanted to ram into the creature.</p><p>"Gooey, don't!" Dark Matter yelled as he tried to pounce on Gooey. It was too late, however, as the former watched Gooey ram into the creature. It growled as it started to rise, it had a glowing mane made of fire. It was a Fire Lion, if Dark Matter remembered correctly.</p><p>Though startled at first, Gooey tried to spit fireballs at the Fire Lion. However, it swatted him with one of his paws and knocked him into a wall. A star even flew out of Gooey's mouth. Thinking fast, Dark Matter quickly shifted into Blade form. He grabbed Gooey and started to flee before the lion could attack them. This wasn't the smartest decision, as the lion was now chasing them.</p><p>He couldn't keep running from this thing forever, but he wasn't in the best shape for fighting either. Perhaps if he startled it, it'll go away on its own? He prepared his sword as the Fire Lion got close. Before it could get its claws on him, Dark Matter turned around and swung the sword towards it. He didn't actually intend to hit the lion, but the sword left a scratch on its nose. While it was distracted, Dark Matter continued to flea until he found a small entrance to another cave to hide in. He pushed Gooey inside before switching back into Blob form. The Fire Lion tried to fit one of its paws through the mouth of the cavern, but it couldn't reach either of the duo no matter how hard it tried.</p><p>Dark Matter hadn't noticed while they were being chased, but Gooey was quietly sobbing to himself. He had three gashes on his side from the lion's claws, and it probably hurt more than he wanted to show. And yet, he was trying to hold his own tears back.</p><p>"...I...I know, I'm not supposed to cry," Gooey said quietly. "But I can't...I can't help it sometimes."</p><p>Oh yes, crying was forbidden on Dark Star. Lord Zero would punish anybody he'd caught doing so, and Dark Matter had his fair share of punishments whenever he was caught crying. From the looks of it, Gooey may have experienced similar punishments as well. He may be another Dark Matter, but he was also a young child who'd been wounded by a flaming cat. He had every right to cry, as far as Dark Matter was concerned.</p><p>"You DID get hurt quite a bit, but it could've been much worse."</p><p>"...How?"</p><p>Dark Matter paused before he could replied. He almost told Gooey that he could've died out there, but that would probably make him feel worse. Perhaps something else would work?</p><p>"We...could've been attacked by that whale again."</p><p>Gooey didn't say anything, he wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. Dark Matter wasn't quite sure what to say either. He was never any good at this sort of thing, so he formed a small arm and placed it on top of Gooey. He was careful not to touch the wounds on Gooey's side, the young blob responded by hugging him back.</p><p>There was still more of this place to get through, and Dark Matter wasn't looking forward to it. But he needed to get Gooey back to Kirby soon. He just hoped that the puffball wouldn't blame him for Gooey's injuries.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark Matter was starting to feel worse the further he went into the cave. His body ached, and he was starting to shiver. He'd hoped that there weren't any enemies to deal with up ahead, because he might not be able to help Gooey next time should things go wrong.</p><p>The further the duo went into the cavern, the cooler it was. They were able to see glowing crystals in the walls, as well as the ceiling. It was as if they were crawling under the night sky.</p><p>Dark Matter had stopped for a moment to gather some strength. Gooey crawled over to his side and leaned against him.</p><p>"...Thank you," Dark Matter said as he formed a single arm and placed it over Gooey's back. Ever since they got away from the Fire Lion, there was something off about Gooey. He hadn't said a word, and although he kept an eye out for Kirby, it seemed liked the encounter with the Fire Lion scared him pretty badly. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to talk to him? Even if it was something small, it could ease Gooey's mind a bit.</p><p>"You know...I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, before."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"The crystals...they're a bit like stars, don't you think?"</p><p>Gooey nodded, though he didn't want to anything else.</p><p>"...Is something wrong?"</p><p>"No," Gooey replied. "I was just thinking that...we've been trying to find Kirby for a while now. And the more we keep going, the more hurt we are. I wanna tell you what I wanna tell you, but I just...I dunno if you'll believe me."</p><p>"...Well whatever it is, I'm willing to listen," Dark Matter replied. "And if we can't find Kirby, then maybe he'll find us."</p><p>"Yeah...maybe."</p><p>There was a large crescent-shaped crystal up ahead. It glowed many different colors of the rainbow. It was pretty, but Dark Matter couldn't help but feel uneasy around it. He felt as if Kirby could come out and strike him with the Rainbow Sword again at any moment.</p><p>"...It looks kinda like a moon," Gooey said with a hint of amusement. "There's even a big hole through it."</p><p>"But isn't the moon always crescent-shaped on this planet?"</p><p>"It wasn't always like that," Gooey replied. "Before I got here, Kirby had a fight with someone called Nightmare. He blew up a chunk of the moon after that."</p><p>Well that didn't sound good. But given how strong Kirby was, it shouldn't come as a surprise to Dark Matter. But even with the crystal's resemblance to the moon, Dark Matter didn't feel safe around this thing.</p><p>"I think I'd rather have the moon like this than to be all round though," Gooey admitted. "Otherwise, it would..."</p><p>"...It would look like Lord Zero?"</p><p>Gooey nodded, though he didn't want to admit it. </p><p>"...If you don't mind me asking Gooey...Do you hate your creator? Or perhaps you hate your own kind?"</p><p>"No, I could never hate our kind!" Gooey said bluntly. "Our...my siblings weren't very nice, but I could never truly hate them."</p><p>"And what about your creator?"</p><p>"That...I dunno how to answer that," Gooey replied as he looked down. "I wanted to please him, I really did...but he wanted nothing to do with me."</p><p>"So he banished you?"</p><p>"Yeah...he did. B-But he...YOUR creator must think you're amazing if you could attack Popstar on your own!"</p><p>"...But he didn't!" Dark Matter said as he dragged himself towards one of the walls. "I was only asked to gather information on this planet. When I told him what I had done, he inhibited my ability to switch into Blade Form. I could switch back after Lord Zero had died, but...I'm certain he would've killed me had he survived that fight."</p><p>Gooey crawled towards Dark Matter, he sat beside him before flattening himself against the floor.</p><p>"I...I was there, you know." Gooey said quietly. "When you and Kirby were fighting in the sky."</p><p>"I'm aware," Dark Matter replied. Gooey looked down timidly. "Y-yeah... Ever since I came here, I'd hoped that you'd love it here, and that you'd get to know all of my friends. But when you attacked Popstar, I thought that maybe...it was my fault somehow."</p><p>"How could it have been your fault?"</p><p>"Because I thought I was the reason you were so angry," Gooey replied. "After I came to Popstar, I grew a mouth and turned blue And when YOU came to Popstar, you didn't recognize me."</p><p>"...What are you saying?"</p><p>"You...you're my brother," Gooey admitted. "I wanted to tell you, I really did...But since you didn't recognize me, I...I thought you wouldn't believe me."</p><p>That...was a lot to take in. Dark Matter had his suspicions after that whale attacked him, but it never occurred to him that Gooey was actually his missing brother.</p><p>...Dear sweet Void he was an idiot! What other reason did Gooey have to be kind to him? What other reason was there to protect him? At this point, he wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear.</p><p>"Are you mad at me?" Gooey asked as he noticed his brother's frustration. Dark Matter let out a long sigh. "No...I just wish I'd known sooner. I was a horrible brother, I don't even know how you could stand to be with me."</p><p>"Well...because even after everything, I still dun like to see you hurt." Gooey said as he wrapped a pair of nubby arms around Dark Matter. "You're still my brother after all."</p><p>It was still hard to believe that Dark Matter's brother and Gooey was the same person. He may not be the same as he was on Dark Star, but perhaps that was a good thing? He found his own strengths while living on this planet, and he'd  fought someone as imposing as Lord Zero himself...For better or worse. Regardless, Dark Matter was happy to know that his brother had grown stronger since coming to Popstar. He wasn't even sure if it was possible for him to feel this happy.</p><p>...In fact, he was starting to feel a little dizzy. He could barely keep his eye open.</p><p>"...You're getting worse, aren't you?" Gooey asked with a look of concern on his face. He held onto his brother as if his life depended on it. "You know...I got really sick when I first came to Popstar. Kirby found me and took care of me, and we've been friends ever since. I just wish I could find a way to take care of you right now."</p><p>Of course, because Gooey didn't want to lose him again. It was strange, but he felt as if he'd gone back to Dark Star with Gooey. There was a familiar sense of joy that he hadn't felt in a long time, as he didn't want to lose Gooey again either.</p><p>"...Gooey!"</p><p>Gooey jumped as he heard a voice call out to him. Further into the cave, he could see Kirby and Dedede running towards him. Gooey ran towards his friends with a worried expression "Kirby! Dedede! I need your help!"</p><p>Dark Matter started to feel tense as Gooey's friends looked at him. He watched as Kirby walked closer to him, though his body refused to move no matter what he did.</p><p>"What...happened to you guys?" Dedede asked as he picked up Gooey gently brushed the bruise above his eye. "Did you get into a fight or somethin'?"</p><p>"No, I asked my brother if he could help me find you guys." Gooey explained. "But then we got attacked by the whale, we had to get through spores, and I rammed into a Fire Lion."</p><p>"I guess that explains the claw marks."</p><p>"What about you?" Kirby asked as he placed a hand over Dark Matter's eye. "How'd you end up like this?"</p><p>"I..." Dark Matter couldn't say anything. Even if Kirby's concern was genuine, part of him was scared of interacting with the puffball.</p><p>"He spooked one of the Waddle Dees after he bumped into me," Dedede explained. "Though I gotta say...he gave you a pretty big gash."</p><p>"I...didn't intend to scare anyone," Dark Matter said quietly.</p><p>"Do you guys think you can help him?" Gooey asked. "I promise he won't cause any trouble!"</p><p>"Sure thing," Kirby said without any hesitation. He grabbed a bandage out of his bag and placed it over Dark Matter's wound...though it was too small to cover it. "You could ride on Dedede's back, it's kinda fun."</p><p>"Uh...Why don't you carry him, Kirby?" Dedede asked while rubbing the back of his head. Kirby tilted his head in confusion, "Why can't you?"</p><p>"Well...you know..."</p><p>"You were the one that wanted to talk to him, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, but...You know what, forget it!" Dedede said bitterly as he released Gooey and threw Dark Matter onto his back. "Just don't try anything funny back there or I'll get Kirby to clobber ya!"</p><p>Dark Matter let out a hoarse growl, but he quietly settled into the back of Dedede's robe until his eye and a pair of small arms were visible. As harsh as Dedede sounded, it seemed he was just as worried as the others. Meanwhile, Kirby was placing a couple of bandages over Gooey's wounds. Again, they didn't fit over the wounds, but Gooey didn't seem to mind."</p><p>"Are you able to keep going, Gooey?" Kirby asked. Gooey replied with a nod. "I'll be fine. Just make sure you guys keep an eye on Brother, OK?"</p><p>With that said, the group started to move on. Dark Matter watched as they moved further away from the moon-shaped crystal. He had to wonder how far they were from the exit. Perhaps if he and Gooey had taken another route, they would've found Kirby and Dedede a lot sooner. That way, he wouldn't have to be carried around like he was one of the Waddle Dees.</p><p>...Well, as long as the group made it out of here, then Dark Matter didn't really care. He was just happy to finally leave this place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Dark Matter and Dedede have a little talk.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kirby was very efficient when it came to finding exits, it was as if he'd been down here many times before...in fact, Dark Matter wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case. The group had swiftly gone through the crystal filled cavern, and they'd even gone past an old, worn-down tower. So now, they were headed into what ressembled a garden in the sky...wait, was it even a sky? Weren't they still underground?</p><p>Dark Matter looked in Kirby's direction, he could see that Gooey was now on top of him. He wondered if the young blob was trying to mimic Dark Matter at first, but it looked more like Kirby was carrying him around for the fun of it. It was hard to imagine that a Puffball and a Dark Matter would ever get along, since they were practically opposites. And yet, Kirby and Gooey were almost like brothers themselves.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dedede seemed to be on edge ever since the group left the crystal cavern. He was probably worried about getting possessed, though it wouldn't be a good idea even if Dark Matter wanted to do it. Like what happened with the Phan Phan, he'd probably hurt himself while trying to possess Dedede. Not to mention that Kirby would probably attack him again, despite the fact that Dark Matter wasn't in any condition to fight right now.</p><p>The dark blob watched as the clouds went by. Though it was night time, they were just as pale as the ones above ground (assuming they were underground anyway). Watching the clouds always used to soothe him back home, and even right now he was starting to doze off.</p><p>...Perhaps one small nap wouldn't hurt? Or at least it wouldn't if Dedede hadn't jumped as soon as Dark Matter closed his eye.</p><p>"...Sorry about that," Dedede said awkwardly. Dark Matter decided not to say anything. His eye started to close as he began to doze off again.</p><p>After Zero died, one would think that he would have more dreams about how he failed to protect his creator. But even without these dreams, the thoughts still lingered. Still, the dreams he'd get in on this planet seemed like a respite from reality. Most of the time, they would revolve around him being back on Dark Star. Sometimes he was home training with his brother, other times he was trying to please Zero. But as pleasent as they might be, there was a hint of sadness knowing that he'll never go back. He wasn't even sure what to call this feeling...homesickness, maybe?</p><p>Whatever it was, it didn't matter. He wanted to go back to Dark Star, he wanted to go back to pleasing Lord Zero. He didn't care how much his siblings despised him, and yet...</p><p>...He didn't want to let go of his brother again. Even after all that's happened between them, Gooey was the closest thing he had to a "family". But where was he supposed to go? He didn't want to ask Kirby or Dedede to let him live with them, and his siblings were too scattered across Popstar to find...they probably wouldn't take him in, anyway.</p><p>When the group finally reaches the surface, what was going to happen to him?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"You sure you know where we're goin', Kirby?"</p><p>I know what I'm doing!"</p><p>"Well you'd better hurry, 'cause he's really burnin' up right now!"</p><p>He wasn't quite sure what all that yelling was about, but Dark Matter refused to open his eye. He tried to go back to sleep, but he could feel Gooey curl up against him.</p><p>"Where...?" was all that Dark Matter could say. It hurt to breathe, his wound felt as if it were on fire. Though he was now laying on the ground, he was wrapped in something soft...it was probably Dedede's robe.</p><p>"We dunno where we are, either," Dedede replied. "I'm...pretty sure we went through the same door twice."</p><p>"Kirby's gone ahead already," Gooey said. "He'll let us know which way we're going."</p><p>So the group was lost...even after he started to think highly of Kirby. Though to be fair, Dark Matter wouldn't have been of much help, either.</p><p>"...Anyway, now that you're up I've been meaning to ask you something," Dedede said, prompting Dark Matter to open his eye. Whatever it was, it was best to just get it over with.</p><p>"Why've you been hiding all this time? Do you really regret what you've done? Or was there something else to it?"</p><p>"...I...I don't know," Dark Matter said weakly. "But when Lord Zero died...I knew I couldn't go back to Dark Star."</p><p>"Because he's the one that created you, right?"</p><p>"Something like that...yes," Dark Matter explained. "I was...supposed to protect him, and yet...I was still too weak to stop Kirby. Perhaps if I'd...I'd done something different, then-then maybe..."</p><p>He felt Gooey place an arm on his side. He hadn't noticed, but a few tears were starting to come out of his eye. Even Dedede was giving him a worried look.</p><p>"A-anyway, I couldn't come back to Dark Star as a failure...but after what I've done to this world, I...I couldn't come to you or Kirby either. You would've thought...that I was coming after you again. And if Kirby had seen me, he wouldn't hesitate to kill me."</p><p>"That...makes sense, I guess," Dedede replied while rubbing the back of his head. "But hey...at least you didn't use me to grab some dumb crown...or kidnap me to impress some lady."</p><p>"But I thought you said that lady was a monster." Gooey added.</p><p>"...Trust me, she was," Dedede said with a shiver going down his spine. Knowing there were others that harassed Dedede as well, Dark Matter couldn't help but feel bad for him. He had to wonder how Dedede got into these situations to begin with.</p><p>"Anyway...what I'm getting at is-"</p><p>"Dedede can be your dad, too!" Gooey said excitedly. Dedede gave him a strange look before looking at Dark Matter again. "I...wouldn't go THAT far. But if you behave yourself, then I MIGHT let you stay at the castle."</p><p>"But...why make such an offer?" Dark Matter asked. "Don't you hate me?"</p><p>"...I'll admit, I'm not too sure about this whole thing myself...but you need a home, don't you?"</p><p>"But...But I used you to attack Dream Land!"</p><p>"I've also been used to steal a crown, what's your point?"</p><p>A home would be nice, but he still wasn't sure if it was right for him to accept Dedede's offer. After a few seconds had passed, Dedede let out a sigh.</p><p>"Look, it's all water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. I'll let you rest at the castle since it's closer, but I'll let you decide if you wanna stay there or not...all right?"</p><p>"I...th-thank you," Dark Matter said quietly. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt stick with Dedede for a little bit? Maybe then he'd be able to find his own purpose in life? He could even get to know more about Popstar like he'd promised Gooey.</p><p>Soon, Kirby walked out of one of the doors. Gooey excitedly ran towards him while Dedede picked up Dark Matter with the robe still wrapped around him.</p><p>"Did you find the exit?" Gooey asked.</p><p>"I think so," Kirby replied. "I didn't see any monsters up ahead, either."</p><p>"You can have this one," Dedede teased, which earned him a harsh glare from Dark Matter. Thankfully, it seemed like this adventure was going to reach its conclusion soon. And the sooner the group got out of here, the better.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As much I like to joke around with the whole "Dark Matter possessing Dedede" thing, I like to imagine that they'd be friends...or at the very least, they'd be on good terms.</p><p>But we'll see where that goes from here.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group finally make it over to the exit.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the group moved on, the cave began to resemble the way it did in the beginning of this whole mess. This had to mean that they were getting closer to the exit. It was much colder here than Dark Matter remembered, though it could just be because of his fever.</p><p>"Are we there yet?" Gooey asked, he was sitting on Dedede's head this time with a bored expression.</p><p>"Almost," Kirby replied. "Once we get past here, we can finally go home."</p><p>...Something had caught Dark Matter's eye, there was a pile of rocks that resembled a hand. It was too noticeable to ignore, even Gooey kept an eye on it.</p><p>"What's that?" Gooey asked while pointing at the rocks.</p><p>"That's Wham Bam Rock...or part of him anyway," Dedede replied. "Me and Kirby knocked him out while we were lookin' for ya."</p><p>"Ah...is he worse than the whale?"</p><p>"Nope, he was kind of a pushover." Just as Kirby said that, the rock hand began to float towards the group. Dark Matter was the only one to notice, he began to struggle. "G-Get out, now!"</p><p>"Would you calm down?" Dedede asked sternly. "We're goin's as fast as-"</p><p>"I said NOW!"</p><p>Just before the rock could hit them, Dark Matter had phased into Dedede's body and swung at the rock hand with a hammer he'd seemingly pulled out of nowhere. Kirby stared at him with a confused look. as did Gooey.</p><p>"I...I panicked."</p><p>There was a loud roar in the cave as another hand tried to attack. Kirby shoved the duo and pointed towards the exit. "Just go, I'll handle it from here!"</p><p>"Good luck, Kirby!" Gooey yelled as Dark Matter started heading towards the exit. It was easier to control Dedede than it was to control the Phan Phan, but the sick feeling was still there, and his side burned more with each step. Still, he needed to fight these feelings until he and Gooey were safe.</p><p>One of the hands hovered over the duo (trio?) and started falling apart. One of them almost fell on Gooey again, but the young blob grabbed it with his tongue and spat it back at another rock. The hand quickly reformed and covered the exit. Gathering what strength he could find, Dark Matter lifted the hammer and whacked the hand as hard as he could. He ran through the exit before the hand could reform again.</p><p>Dark Matter was starting to slow down, he was struggling to keep his grip on Dedede's body. It was getting harder to breath, and the room was spinning without any sign of stopping. Inevitably, he collapsed and released Dedede in the process. Gooey had stumbled onto the floor with him.</p><p>"Ugh...you could at least warn me if you're gonna do that!" Dedede yelled angrily. Dark Matter couldn't respond, he could barely keep his eye open. Gooey looked at Dedede with concern, "I...I think he's getting wor..."</p><p>"..en, let's get ..tta ...."</p><p>Dark Matter was starting to lose consciousness. He didn't want things to end here, but he didn't have the strength to do anything anymore...</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As soon as Dark Matter woke up again, he could hear what sounded like snoring. His eye burned as soon as he opened it, but he was able to see an orange light coming from a nearby window. He had to assume that he was at Dedede's Castle, he also had to assume that it was morning. Otherwise things wouldn't be as quiet as they were now.</p><p>He was in a bed with a checkered blanket covering him, Gooey was sleeping on one side of the bed while Kirby slept on the other side. He looked so calm, it was hard to believe that he was the same puffball that nearly killed him. Then again, he was probably here just because Gooey was here...Not that it was a bad thing.</p><p>Kirby started to move, he stretched his limbs before rubbing his eyes. When he realized that Dark Matter was awake, he began to look as if he'd seen a ghost.</p><p>"You woke up...I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YOU WOKE UP!" Kirby yelled excitedly as he hopped off the bed. "I GOTTA TELL DEDEDE!"</p><p>As Kirby ran, he left the door wide open. Dark Matter tried to move, but his body still ached. He found a dry cloth sitting on top of him, as well as a larger bandage sticking to his side. Gooey also had three large bandages on his side, and the bruise over his eye had turned a dark purple. Despite his injuries (and Kirby's yelling), he was still sleeping like a baby.</p><p>"Wouldya calm down? Most of the Waddle Dees aren't even awake yet!"</p><p>"But I mean it this time, he's awake!"</p><p>Dark Matter watched as Kirby dragged Dedede into the room, his eyes were barely open and he was still in his pajamas. After he tried to wipe the grogginess away from his eyes, Dedede's attention had turned to Dark Matter.</p><p>"Huh...so you really did wake up, huh?"</p><p>"Could you...tell me what's going on?" Dark Matter ask, his voice still kind of weak.</p><p>"You were out for the past two days," Dedede explained as he leaned against the wall. "Between Kirby and Gooey frettin' over you, I wasn't sure if you'd wake up at all."</p><p>Were they really that worried about him? Gooey was one thing, Kirby and Dedede were another...They could've easily left him to die back in that cave, so why didn't they?</p><p>"I...don't understand."</p><p>"...It's 'cause your own family wasn't so nice to you either, huh?"</p><p>"W-well, they,,,had their reasons..."</p><p>"Such as...?" Dedede said while crossing his arms. He looked as if he were scolding a child, Dark Matter wasn't sure if this was out of habit or if he was trying to belittle him. Nonetheless, he looked away. "...Forget it!"</p><p>With that said, Dedede began to yawn. "Anyway...I'm goin' back to bed, Kirby'll keep an eye on ya for now..."</p><p>Dedede walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Kirby climbed back onto the bed, he had a curious look on his face. Dark Matter couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.</p><p>"Er...so about those incidents before..."</p><p>"Hey, what happened happened," Kirby said with a shrug. "My friend Marx tried to take over Popstar, too."</p><p>Dark Matter wasn't sure how to take that response, though it seemed like Kirby meant well...either that or thinking about those past incidents made him uncomfortable too.</p><p>"So how come you're all spiky but Gooey isn't?" Kirby asked without hesitation. "Did you mutate?"</p><p>Between Kirby and Gooey, Kirby seemed a bit more "grown up", but it was easy to forget that he was still a child...at least by puffball standards, anyway. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to humor him a little?</p><p>"...I happened to find a spiny creature during one of my missions. I thought it looked intimidating, and it made me want to look just like it."</p><p>"And that's how you turned spiky?"</p><p>"Something like that, Lord Zero was very angry with me afterwards."</p><p>"I believe it," Kirby said with a nod. "'Cause Gooey cried as soon as he grew a mouth."</p><p>As if he'd heard them speaking, Gooey started to stretch as he let out a yawn. His tongue stretched across the bed before he pulled it back into his mouth. Afterwards, he gently nuzzled against Dark Matter's eye. Dark Matter nuzzled back in response.</p><p>"So since you're awake now, did you want something to eat?" Kirby offered.</p><p>"I don't need food," Dark Matter responded.</p><p>"But it'll make you feel better, I'll even make soup if you want."</p><p>"...Do as you wish, I don't care."</p><p>"OK, I'll be right back!"</p><p>Once again, Kirby hopped off of the bed and left the room. He couldn't be THAT good when it came to making food, but it wouldn't hurt to humor him a little longer.</p><p>He never could've imagine himself getting along with Kirby, let alone anyone else. Gooey had such a nice home surrounded by people that love him, which made Dark Matter a little envious. He was sure that he would have to make up for his wrongdoings while he was here, but for now he was content with being reunited with his brother.</p><p>Still, he couldn't help but wonder what Lord Zero would've thought about all of this. He had to wonder what life would've been like had things gone differently. If he were banished like Gooey, would he have met Kirby as well? Would Lord Zero have attacked this planet much sooner? Whatever the case may be, it didn't matter. He needed to rest while he still could. He was just happy to have gotten out of that cave.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I did intend for this to be the end...but now, I want to continue this in some way. The problem is: I don't know whether I should continue on from this story or make a new one and continue on from there.</p><p>Either way, it might be a good time for me to take a bit of a break from writing. So consider this an end to '"Act 1" for now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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